Dysregulated miR-361-5p/VEGF axis in the plasma and endothelial progenitor cells of patients with coronary artery disease

Exploring the diagnostic potential of miRNA signatures in the Fabry disease serum: A comparative study of automated and manual sample isolations

Fabry disease, an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by galactosidase α (GLA) gene mutations, exhibits diverse clinical manifestations, and poses significant diagnostic challenges. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improved patient outcomes, pressing the need for reliable biomarkers. In this study, we aimed to identify miRNA candidates as potential biomarkers for Fabry disease using the KingFisher™ automated isolation method and NanoString nCounter® miRNA detection assay. Clinical serum samples were collected from both healthy subjects and Fabry disease patients. RNA extraction from the samples was performed using the KingFisher™ automated isolation method with the MagMAX mirVanaTM kit or manually using the Qiagen miRNeasy kit. The subsequent NanoString nCounter® miRNA detection assay showed consistent performance and no correlation between RNA input concentration and raw count, ensuring reliable and reproducible results. Interestingly, the detection range and highly differential miRNA between the control and disease groups were found to be distinct depending on the isolation method employed. Nevertheless, enrichment analysis of miRNA-targeting genes consistently revealed significant associations with angiogenesis pathways in both isolation methods. Additionally, our investigation into the impact of enzyme replacement therapy on miRNA expression indicated that some differential miRNAs may be sensitive to treatment. Our study provides valuable insights to identify miRNA biomarkers for Fabry disease. While different isolation methods yielded various detection ranges and highly differential miRNAs, the consistent association with angiogenesis pathways suggests their significance in disease progression. These findings lay the groundwork for further investigations and validation studies, ultimately leading to the development of non-invasive and reliable biomarkers to aid in early diagnosis and treatment monitoring for Fabry disease.

Connecting epigenetics and inflammation in vascular senescence: state of the art, biomarkers and senotherapeutics

Vascular diseases pose major health challenges, and understanding their underlying molecular mechanisms is essential to advance therapeutic interventions. Cellular senescence, a hallmark of aging, is a cellular state characterized by cell-cycle arrest, a senescence-associated secretory phenotype macromolecular damage, and metabolic dysregulation. Vascular senescence has been demonstrated to play a key role in different vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, chronic venous disease, and venous ulcers. Even though cellular senescence was first described in 1961, significant gaps persist in comprehending the epigenetic mechanisms driving vascular senescence and its subsequent inflammatory response. Through a comprehensive analysis, we aim to elucidate these knowledge gaps by exploring the network of epigenetic alterations that contribute to vascular senescence. In addition, we describe the consequent inflammatory cascades triggered by these epigenetic modifications. Finally, we explore translational applications involving biomarkers of vascular senescence and the emerging field of senotherapy targeting this biological process.

Augmenting the Angiogenic Profile and Functionality of Cord Blood Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells by Indirect Priming with Bone-Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Cellular therapy has shown promise as a strategy for the functional restoration of ischemic tissues through promoting vasculogenesis. Therapy with endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has shown encouraging results in preclinical studies, but the limited engraftment, inefficient migration, and poor survival of patrolling endothelial progenitor cells at the injured site hinder its clinical utilization. These limitations can, to some extent, be overcome by co-culturing EPCs with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Studies on the improvement in functional capacity of late EPCs, also referred to as endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), when cultured with MSCs have mostly focused on the angiogenic potential, although migration, adhesion, and proliferation potential also determine effective physiological vasculogenesis. Alteration in angiogenic proteins with co-culturing has also not been studied. We co-cultured ECFCs with MSCs via both direct and indirect means, and studied the impact of the resultant contact-mediated and paracrine-mediated impact of MSCs over ECFCs, respectively, on the functional aspects and the angiogenic protein signature of ECFCs. Both directly and indirectly primed ECFCs significantly restored the adhesion and vasculogenic potential of impaired ECFCs, whereas indirectly primed ECFCs showed better proliferation and migratory potential than directly primed ECFCs. Additionally, indirectly primed ECFCs, in their angiogenesis proteomic signature, showed alleviated inflammation, along with the balanced expression of various growth factors and regulators of angiogenesis.

Platelet MicroRNA-484 as a Novel Diagnostic Biomarker for Acute Coronary Syndrome

OBJECTIVE

Platelet microRNAs (miRs) have been indicated as a diagnostic biomarker in various diseases, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aimed to investigate the expression of miR-223-5p, miR-126-5p, miR-484, and miR-130a-3p in individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD).

METHODS

Forty subjects with CAD and 13 healthy individuals were under study. The expression of miR-223-5p, miR-126-5p, miR-484, and miR-130a-3p was measured in platelets by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The relationship between miRNA expression and various parameters of the subjects was analyzed using analysis of variance and Spearman and t-tests.

RESULTS

The miR-484 expression was significantly upregulated in the ACS subjects (P = .0097). Moreover, miR-484 had diagnostic value for screening subjects with unstable angina vs controls (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.978, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.92-1, P = .0006) and NSTEMI patients versus controls (AUC = 0.910, 95% CI 0.74-1, P = .005).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate that the upregulated expression of miR-484 in ACS patients might be used as a diagnostic biomarker in ACS.

Exploring Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells to Better Understand the Pathophysiology of Disease: An Updated Review

Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction has been implicated in a variety of pathological conditions. The collection of ECs from patients is typically conducted postmortem or through invasive procedures, such as surgery and interventional procedures, hampering efforts to clarify the role of ECs in disease onset and progression. In contrast, endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), also termed late endothelial progenitor cells, late outgrowth endothelial cells, blood outgrowth endothelial cells, or endothelial outgrowth cells, are obtained in a minimally invasive manner, namely, by the culture of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in endothelial growth medium. ECFCs resemble mature ECs phenotypically, genetically, and functionally, making them excellent surrogates for ECs. Numerous studies have been performed that examined ECFC function in conditions such as coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, congenital bicuspid aortic valve disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, venous thromboembolic disease, and von Willebrand disease. Here, we provide an updated review of studies using ECFCs that were performed to better understand the pathophysiology of disease. We also discuss the potential of ECFCs as disease biomarkers and the standardized methods to culture, quantify, and evaluate ECFCs and suggest the future direction of research in this field.

Study of the Association between VEGF Polymorphisms and the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Koreans

Coronary artery disease (CAD), a leading cause of death worldwide, has a complex etiology comprising both traditional risk factors (type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, arterial hypertension, and cigarette smoking) and genetic factors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) notably contributes to angiogenesis and endothelial homeostasis. However, little is known about the relationship between CAD and VEGF polymorphisms in Koreans. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations of 2 VEGF promoter region polymorphisms (−1154G>A [rs1570360], −1498T>C [rs833061]) and 4 VEGF 3′-UTR polymorphisms (+936C>T [rs3025039], +1451C>T [rs3025040], +1612G>A [rs10434], and +1725G>A [rs3025053]) with CAD susceptibility in Koreans. We studied 885 subjects: 463 CAD patients and 422 controls. Genotyping was conducted with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and TaqMan allelic discrimination assays, and the genotype frequencies were calculated. We then performed haplotype and genotype combination analyses and measured the associations between VEGF polymorphisms and clinical variables in both the CAD patients and control subjects. We detected statistically significant associations between CAD and certain VEGF allele combinations. In the haplotypes of 5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, the VEGF allele combination −1154A/+936T was associated with a decreased prevalence of CAD (A-T-T-G-G of VEGF −1154G>A/−1498T>C/+936C>T/+1612G>A/+1725G>A, AOR = 0.077, p = 0.021). In contrast, the VEGF allele combinations −1498T/+1725A and −1498T/+1612A/+1725A were associated with an increased prevalence of CAD (G-T-C-C-A of VEGF −1154G>A/−1498T>C/+936C>T/+1451C>T/+1725G>A, AOR = 1.602, p = 0.047; T-C-C-A-A of VEGF −1498T>C/+936C>T/+1451C>T/+1612G>A/+1725G>A, AOR = 1.582, p = 0.045). Gene−environment combinatorial analysis showed that the combination of the VEGF +1725AA genotype and several clinical factors (e.g., body mass index, hemoglobin A1c, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) increased the risk of CAD. Therefore, we suggest that VEGF polymorphisms and clinical factors may impact CAD prevalence.

miR-484: A Potential Biomarker in Health and Disease

Disorders of miR-484 expression are observed in cancer, different diseases or pathological states. There is accumulating evidence that miR-484 plays an essential role in the development as well as the regression of different diseases, and miR-484 has been reported as a key regulator of common cancer and non-cancer diseases. The miR-484 targets that have effects on inflammation, apoptosis and mitochondrial function include SMAD7, Fis1, YAP1 and BCL2L13. For cancer, identified targets include VEGFB, VEGFR2, MAP2, MMP14, HNF1A, TUSC5 and KLF12. The effects of miR-484 on these targets have been documented separately. Moreover, miR-484 is typically described as an oncosuppressor, but this claim is simplistic and one-sided. This review will combine relevant basic and clinical studies to find that miR-484 promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in liver, prostate and lung tissues. It will provide a basis for the possible mechanisms of miR-484 in early tumor diagnosis, prognosis determination, disease assessment, and as a potential therapeutic target for tumors.

MicroRNAs and exosomes: Cardiac stem cells in heart diseases

Treating cardiovascular diseases with cardiac stem cells (CSCs) is a valid treatment among various stem cell-based therapies. With supplying the physiological need for cardiovascular cells as their main function, under pathological circumstances, CSCs can also reproduce the myocardial cells. Although studies have identified many of CSCs' functions, our knowledge of molecular pathways that regulate these functions is not complete enough. Either physiological or pathological studies have shown, stem cells proliferation and differentiation could be regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). How miRNAs regulate CSC behavior is an interesting area of research that can help us study and control the function of these cells in vitro; an achievement that may be beneficial for patients with cardiovascular diseases. The secretome of stem and progenitor cells has been studied and it has been determined that exosomes are the main source of their secretion which are very small vesicles at the nanoscale and originate from endosomes, which are secreted into the extracellular space and act as key signaling organelles in intercellular communication. Mesenchymal stem cells, cardiac-derived progenitor cells, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes release exosomes that have been shown to have cardioprotective, immunomodulatory, and reparative effects. Herein, we summarize the regulation roles of miRNAs and exosomes in cardiac stem cells.

Patient Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells to Model Coronary Artery Disease Susceptibility and Unravel the Role of Dysregulated Mitochondrial Redox Signalling

Mechanisms involved in the individual susceptibility to atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) beyond traditional risk factors are poorly understood. Here, we describe the utility of cultured patient-derived endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) in examining novel mechanisms of CAD susceptibility, particularly the role of dysregulated redox signalling. ECFCs were selectively cultured from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 828 patients from the BioHEART-CT cohort, each with corresponding demographic, clinical and CT coronary angiographic imaging data. Spontaneous growth occurred in 178 (21.5%) patients and was more common in patients with hypertension (OR 1.45 (95% CI 1.03-2.02), p = 0.031), and less likely in patients with obesity (OR 0.62 [95% CI 0.40-0.95], p = 0.027) or obstructive CAD (stenosis > 50%) (OR 0.60 [95% CI 0.38-0.95], p = 0.027). ECFCs from patients with CAD had higher mitochondrial production of superoxide (O₂^--MitoSOX assay). The latter was strongly correlated with the severity of CAD as measured by either coronary artery calcium score (R² = 0.46; p = 0.0051) or Gensini Score (R² = 0.67; p = 0.0002). Patient-derived ECFCs were successfully cultured in 3D culture pulsatile mini-vessels. Patient-derived ECFCs can provide a novel resource for discovering mechanisms of CAD disease susceptibility, particularly in relation to mitochondrial redox signalling.

Identification of key miRNAs and mRNAs related to coronary artery disease by meta-analysis

Background

To illustrate the mechanism of miRNA and mRNA in coronary artery diseasen (CAD), differentially expressed microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and genes (DEGs) were analyzed.

Methods

The mRNA transcription profiles of GSE20680 (including 87 blood samples of CAD and 52 blood samples of control), GSE20681 (including 99 blood samples of CAD and 99 blood samples of control) and GSE12288 (including 110 blood samples of CAD and 112 blood samples of control) and the miRNA transcription profiles of GSE59421 (including 33 blood samples of CAD and 37 blood samples of control), GSE49823 (including 12 blood samples of CAD and 12 blood samples of control) and GSE28858 (including 13 blood samples of CAD and 13 blood samples of control) were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/). Then, the homogenous expressed mRNAs and miRNAs across the three mRNA transcription profiles and three miRNA transcription profiles were screened using the Fishers exact test in MetaDE. ES package. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to analyze gene modules. Additionally, the integrated miRNAs–targets regulatory network using the DEmiRNA and their targets was constructed using Cytoscape.

Results

A total of 1201 homogenously statistically significant DEGs were identified including 879 up-regulated and 322 down-regulated DEGs, while a total of 47 homogenously statistically significant DEmiRNAs including 37 up-regulated and 10 down-regulated DEmiRNAs in CAD compared with the controls across the three mRNA transcription profiles and the three miRNA transcription profiles. A total of 5067 genes were clustered into 9 modules in the training dataset, among which, 8 modules were validated. In the miRNAs-targets network, there existed 267 interaction relationships among 5 miRNAs (hsa-miR-361-5p, hsa-miR-139-5p, hsa-miR-146b-5p, hsa-miR-502-5p and hsa-miR-501-5p) and 213 targets. CAV1 could be the target of hsa-miR-361-5 while HSF2 was the target of both hsa-miR-361-5p and hsa-miR-146b-5p. CAV1 was significantly enriched in the GO term of regulation of cell proliferation.

Conclusion

hsa-miR-361-5p, has-miR-146b-5p, CAV1 and HSF2 could play an important role in CAD.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12872-021-02211-2.

An Insight into the microRNAs Associated with Arteriovenous and Cavernous Malformations of the Brain

Background: Brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs) and cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are rare developmental anomalies of the intracranial vasculature, with an irregular tendency to rupture, and as of yet incompletely deciphered pathophysiology. Because of their variety in location, morphology, and size, as well as unpredictable natural history, they represent a management challenge. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are strands of non-coding RNA of around 20 nucleotides that are able to modulate the expression of target genes by binding completely or partially to their respective complementary sequences. Recent breakthroughs have been made on elucidating their contribution to BAVM and CCM occurrence, growth, and evolution; however, there are still countless gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms involved. Methods: We have searched the Medline (PubMed; PubMed Central) database for pertinent articles on miRNAs and their putative implications in BAVMs and CCMs. To this purpose, we employed various permutations of the terms and idioms: ‘arteriovenous malformation’, ‘AVM’, and ‘BAVM’, or ‘cavernous malformation’, ‘cavernoma’, and ‘cavernous angioma’ on the one hand; and ‘microRNA’, ‘miRNA’, and ‘miR’ on the other. Using cross-reference search; we then investigated additional articles concerning the individual miRNAs identified in other cerebral diseases. Results: Seven miRNAs were discovered to play a role in BAVMs, three of which were downregulated (miR-18a, miR-137, and miR-195*) and four upregulated (miR-7-5p, miR-199a-5p, miR-200b-3p, and let-7b-3p). Similarly, eight miRNAs were identified in CCM in humans and experimental animal models, two being upregulated (miR-27a and mmu-miR-3472a), and six downregulated (miR-125a, miR-361-5p, miR-370-3p, miR-181a-2-3p, miR-95-3p, and let-7b-3p). Conclusions: The following literature review endeavored to address the recent discoveries related to the various implications of miRNAs in the formation and growth of BAVMs and CCMs. Additionally, by presenting other cerebral pathologies correlated with these miRNAs, it aimed to emphasize the potential directions of upcoming research and biological therapies.

Genome-wide microRNA expression analysis in human placenta reveals sex-specific patterns: an ENVIRONAGE birth cohort study

There is an increasing interest in microRNAs (miRNAs) as they are of utmost importance in gene regulation at the posttranscriptional level. Sex-related susceptibility for non-communicable diseases later in life could originate in early life. Until now, no data on sex-specific miRNA expression are available for the placenta. Therefore, we investigated the difference by sex of newborn's miRNA expression in human placental tissue. Within the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort, miRNA and mRNA expression profiling was performed in 60 placentae (50% boys) using Agilent (8 × 60 K) microarrays. The distribution of chromosome locations was studied and pathway analysis of the identified sex-specific miRNAs in the placenta was carried out. Of the total 2558 miRNAs on the array, 597 miRNAs were expressed in over 70% of the samples and were included for further analyses. A total of 142 miRNAs were significantly (FDR<0.05) associated with the newborn's sex. In newborn girls, 76 miRNAs had higher expression (hsa-miR-361-5p as most significant) and 66 miRNAs had lower expression (hsa-miR-4646-5p as most significant) than in newborn boys. In the same study population, placental differentially expressed genes by sex were also identified using a whole genome approach. The placental gene expression revealed 27 differentially expressed genes by comparing girls to boys. Ultimately, we studied the miRNA-RNA interactome and identified 14 miRNA-mRNA interactions as sex-specific. Sex differences in placental m(i)RNA expression may reveal sex-specific patterns already present during pregnancy, which may influence physiological conditions in early or later life. These molecular processes might play a role in sex-specific disease susceptibility in later life.

Down-regulation of miR-361-5p promotes the viability, migration and tube formation of endothelial progenitor cells via targeting FGF1

Transplantion of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may be a novel treatment for deep venous thrombosis (DVT). The present study probed into the role of microRNA (miR)-361-5p in EPCs and DVT recanalization. EPCs were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and identified using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. The viability, migration and tube formation of EPCs were examined using MTT assay, wound-healing assay and tube formation assay, respectively. Target gene and potential binding sites between miR-361-5p and fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) were predicted by StarBase and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Relative expressions of miR-361-5p and FGF1 were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot as needed. A DVT model in SD rats was established to investigate the role of EPC with miR-361-5p antagomir in DVT by Hematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) staining. EPC was identified as 87.1% positive for cluster of difference (CD)31, 2.17% positive for CD133, 85.6% positive for von Willebrand factor (vWF) and 94.8% positive for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2). MiR-361-5p antagomir promoted proliferation, migration and tube formation of EPCs and up-regulated FGF1 expression, thereby dissolving thrombus in the vein of DVT rats. FGF1 was the target of miR-361-5p, and overexpressed FGF1 reversed the effects of up-regulating miR-361-5p on suppressing EPCs. Down-regulation of miR-361-5p enhanced thrombus resolution in vivo and promoted EPC viability, migration and angiogenesis in vitro through targeting FGF1. Therefore, miR-361-5p may be a potential therapeutic target for DVT recanalization.

Dysregulation of serum miR-361-5p serves as a biomarker to predict disease onset and short-term prognosis in acute coronary syndrome patients

Background

Serum microRNAs (miRNAs) have been used as novel biomarkers for various diseases, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study aimed to investigate the expression and clinical significance of microRNA-361-5p (miR-361-5p) in patients with ACS.

Methods

This study included 118 ACS patients, 78 patients with stable coronary heart disease (SCHD) and 66 healthy controls. MiR-361-5p expression was measured by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic value of miR-361-5p was evaluated by the ROC analysis. A 30-day follow-up was performed for the patients from hospitalization, and Kaplan–Meier curves and logistics analysis were used to evaluate the ability of miR-361-5p to predict the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). ELISA kits were used to detect the levels of endothelial dysfunction (ED) markers, including vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin.

Results

The expression of miR-361-5p was significantly increased in patients with SCHD and ACS, and positively correlated with Gensini scores. Serum miR-361-5p expression had a high diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing ACS from health controls and SCHD patients. ACS patients with high expression of miR-361-5p had a higher probability of developing MACE. MiR-361-5p expression was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of MACE in ACS patients, and was positively correlated with the levels of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and E-selectin.

Conclusion

All data indicated that miR-361-5p expression was significantly increased in ACS patients. Aberrant miR-361-5p expression in ACS might be a candidate biomarker for ACS diagnosis and the the prediction of MACE onset.

Therapeutic Value of miRNAs in Coronary Artery Disease

Atherosclerotic ischemic coronary artery disease (CAD) is a significant community health challenge and the principal cause of morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries for all ethnic groups. The progressive chronic coronary atherosclerosis is the main underlying cause of CAD. Although enormous progress occurred in the last three decades in the management of cardiovascular diseases, the prevalence of CAD continues to increase worldwide, indicating the need for discovery of deeper molecular insights of CAD mechanisms, biomarkers, and innovative therapeutic targets. Recently, several research groups established that microRNAs essentially regulate various cardiovascular development and functions, and a deregulated cardiac enriched microRNA profile plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of CAD and its biological aging. Numerous studies established that over- or downregulation of a single miRNA gene by ago-miRNA or anti-miRNA is enough to modify the CAD disease process, significantly prevent age-dependent cardiac cell death, and markedly improve cardiac function. In the light of more recent experimental and clinical evidences, we briefly reviewed and discussed the involvement of miRNAs in CAD and their possible diagnostic/therapeutic values. Moreover, we also focused on the role of miRNAs in the initiation and progression of the atherosclerosis plaque as the strongest risk factor for CAD.

Circulating microRNA as a Biomarker for Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in adults, and new methods of predicting disease and risk-stratifying patients will help guide intervention in order to reduce this burden. Current CAD detection involves multiple modalities, but the consideration of other biomarkers will help improve reliability. The aim of this narrative review is to help researchers and clinicians appreciate the growing relevance of miRNA in CAD and its potential as a biomarker, and also to suggest useful miRNA that may be targets for future study. We sourced information from several databases, namely PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, when collating evidentiary information. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are short, noncoding RNAs that are relevant in cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology, playing roles in cardiac hypertrophy, maintenance of vascular tone, and responses to vascular injury. CAD is associated with changes in miRNA expression profiles, and so are its risk factors, such as abnormal lipid metabolism and inflammation. Thus, they may potentially be biomarkers of CAD. Nevertheless, there are limitations in using miRNA. These include cost and the presence of several confounding factors that may affect miRNA profiles. Furthermore, there is difficulty in the normalisation of miRNA values between published studies, due to pre-analytical variations in samples.

The Role of MicroRNAs in Regulating Cytokines and Growth Factors in Coronary Artery Disease: The Ins and Outs

Coronary artery diseases (CAD), as a leading cause of mortality around the world, has attracted the researchers' attention for years to find out its underlying mechanisms and causes. Among the various key players in the pathogenesis of CAD cytokines, microRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial. In this study, besides providing a comprehensive overview of the involvement of cytokines, growth factors, and miRNAs in CAD, the interplay between miRNA with cytokine or growth factors during the development of CAD is discussed.

Circulating microRNA profiles based on direct S-Poly(T)Plus assay for detection of coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of heart-associated deaths worldwide. Conventional diagnostic techniques are ineffective and insufficient to diagnose CHD with higher accuracy. To use the circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as non-invasive, specific and sensitive biomarkers for diagnosing of CHD, 203 patients with CHD and 144 age-matched controls (126 high-risk controls and 18 healthy volunteers) were enrolled in this study. The direct S-Poly(T)Plus method was used to identify novel miRNAs expression profile of CHD patients and to evaluate their clinical diagnostic value. This method is an RNA extraction-free and robust quantification method, which simplifies procedures, reduces variations, in particular increases the accuracy. Twelve differentially expressed miRNAs between CHD patients and high-risk controls were selected, and their performances were evaluated in validation set-1 with 96 plasma samples. Finally, six (miR-15b-5p, miR-29c-3p, miR-199a-3p, miR-320e, miR-361-5p and miR-378b) of these 12 miRNAs were verified in validation set-2 with a sensitivity of 92.8% and a specificity of 89.5%, and the AUC was 0.971 (95% confidence interval, 0.948-0.993, P < .001) in a large cohort for CHD patients diagnosis. Plasma fractionation indicated that only a small amount of miRNAs were assembled into EVs. Direct S-Poly(T)Plus method could be used for disease diagnosis and 12 unique miRNAs could be used for diagnosis of CHD.

The circulating vascular endothelial growth factor is only marginally associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) is a protein that plays a role in the formation and function of blood vessels, promotes increased vascular permeability or migration of monocytes through endothelial layers. We have tested the hypothesis that plasma levels of VEGF-A may be associated with biochemical and radiological parameters as a marker of cardiovascular risk in Caucasian patients with early-onset CAD.

METHODS

The study group included 100 patients: 75 men not older than 50 years and 25 women not older than 55 years at the moment of CAD diagnosis. The control group (patients without CAD) comprised 50 healthy cases. ELISA test was used to measure plasma concentrations of VEGF. Doppler ultrasound of carotid and peripheral arteries was carried out in each patient. Serum glucose, complete lipid profile, ApoA1, ApoB, Lp(a) and blood count were measured in each case.

RESULTS

Only very weak correlations of plasma VEGF levels with biochemical cardiovascular risk factors in the CAD subjects have been demonstrated. In the study group, VEGF concentration was significantly positively correlated with the same blood parameters as white blood cells, platelets, plateletcrit, apolipoprotein B, total and LDL cholesterol fraction. The plaque of common carotid arteries and bifurcation was present in 39% of CAD patients, however, there was no significant association between VEGF plasma concentration and any measured parameters in Doppler ultrasound of carotid and peripheral arteries.

CONCLUSIONS

The circulating VEGF is only marginally associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis.

miR-548aq-3p is a novel target of Far infrared radiation which predicts coronary artery disease endothelial colony forming cell responsiveness

Non-invasive far infrared radiation (FIR) has been observed to improve the health of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) contribute to vascular repair and CAD. The goal of this study was to uncover the role of FIR in ECFCs function and to reveal potential biomarkers for indication of FIR therapy in CAD patients. FIR significantly enhanced in vitro migration (transwell assay) and tube formation (tube length) capacities in a subpopulation of CAD ECFCs. Clinical parameters associated with the responsiveness of ECFCs to FIR include smoking and gender. ECFCs from CAD patients that smoke did not respond to FIR in most cases. In contrast, ECFCs from females showed a higher responsiveness to FIR than ECFCs from males. To decipher the molecular mechanisms by which FIR modulates ECFCs functions, regardless of sex, RNA sequencing analysis was performed in both genders of FIR-responsive and FIR-non/unresponsive ECFCs. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of FIR up-regulated genes indicated that the pathways enriched in FIR-responsive ECFCs were involved in cell viability, angiogenesis and transcription. Small RNA sequencing illustrated 18 and 14 miRNAs that are up- and down-regulated, respectively, in FIR-responsive CAD ECFCs in both genders. Among the top 5 up- and down-regulated miRNAs, down-regulation of miR-548aq-3p in CAD ECFCs after FIR treatment was observed in FIR-responsive CAD ECFCs by RT-qPCR. Down-regulation of miR-548aq-3p was correlated with the tube formation activity of CAD ECFCs enhanced by FIR. After establishment of the down-regulation of miR-548aq-3p by FIR in CAD ECFCs, we demonstrated through overexpression and knockdown experiments that miR-548aq-3p contributes to the inhibition of the tube formation of ECFCs. This study suggests the down-regulation of miR-548aq-3p by FIR may contribute to the improvement of ECFCs function, and represents a novel biomarker for therapeutic usage of FIR in CAD patients.

Regional Molecular Signature of the Symptomatic Atherosclerotic Carotid Plaque

BACKGROUND

Many studies have explored molecular markers of carotid plaque development and vulnerability to rupture, usually having examined whole carotid plaques. However, there are regional differences in plaque morphology and known shear-related mechanisms in areas surrounding the lipid core.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether there are regional differences in protein expression along the long axis of the carotid plaque and how that might produce gaps in our understanding of the carotid plaque molecular signature.

METHODS

Levels of 7 inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 p70, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) and caspase-3 were analyzed in prebifurcation, bifurcation, and postbifurcation segments of internal carotid plaques surgically removed from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Expression profiles of miRNAs and mRNAs were determined with microarrays for the rupture-prone postbifurcation segment for comparison with published whole plaque results.

RESULTS

Expression levels of all proteins examined, except IL-10, were lowest in the prebifurcation segment and significantly higher in the postbifurcation segment. Patient group differences in protein expression were observed for the prebifurcation segment; however, no significant differences were observed in the postbifurcation segment between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Expression profiles from postbifurcation carotid plaques identified 4 novel high priority miRNAs differentially expressed between patient groups (miR-214, miR-484, miR-942, and miR-1287) and 3 high-confidence miRNA:mRNA targets, including miR-214:APOD, miR-484:DACH1, and miR-942:GPR56.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrate regional differences in protein expression for the first time and show that focus on the rupture-prone postbifurcation region leads to prioritization for further study of novel miRNA gene regulation mechanisms.

Noncoding RNAs in Critical Limb Ischemia

Peripheral artery disease, caused by chronic arterial occlusion of the lower extremities, affects over 200 million people worldwide. Peripheral artery disease can progress into critical limb ischemia (CLI), its more severe manifestation, which is associated with higher risk of limb amputation and cardiovascular death. Aiming to improve tissue perfusion, therapeutic angiogenesis held promise to improve ischemic limbs using delivery of growth factors but has not successfully translated into benefits for patients. Moreover, accumulating studies suggest that impaired downstream signaling of these growth factors (or angiogenic resistance) may significantly contribute to CLI, particularly under harsh environments, such as diabetes mellitus. Noncoding RNAs are essential regulators of gene expression that control a range of pathophysiologies relevant to CLI, including angiogenesis/arteriogenesis, hypoxia, inflammation, stem/progenitor cells, and diabetes mellitus. In this review, we summarize the role of noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs, as functional mediators or biomarkers in the pathophysiology of CLI. A better understanding of these ncRNAs in CLI may provide opportunities for new targets in the prevention, diagnosis, and therapeutic management of this disabling disease state.

Protective Role of Astrocyte-Derived Exosomal microRNA-361 in Cerebral Ischemic-Reperfusion Injury by Regulating the AMPK/mTOR Signaling Pathway and Targeting CTSB

BACKGROUND

Evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in ischemic diseases. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the functions of astrocyte (ATC)-derived exosomal miR-361 on cerebral ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODS

A rat model of cerebral I/R injury was initially established, followed by injection of ATC-derived exosomes. Next, the protective function of ATC-derived exosomes in rats with cerebral I/R injury was evaluated, and then the effect of miR-361 on rats with cerebral I/R injury was evaluated by changing miR-361 expression in exosomes. PC12 cells that underwent oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation were used to simulate I/R in vitro. The effect of ATC-derived exosomal miR-361 on the viability and apoptosis of OGD/R-treated PC12 cells was also assessed. The bioinformatic analysis predicted the targeted gene of miR-361.

RESULTS

It was found that I/R was damaging to the brain nerves of rats, while ATC-derived exosomal miR-361 relieved nerve damage caused by I/R. Furthermore, the in vitro experiments demonstrated that ATC-derived exosomal miR-361 increased OGD/R-inhibited PC12 cell activity and suppressed cell apoptosis. Bioinformatics predicted that miR-361 targeted cathepsin B (CTSB). CTSB upregulation blocked the protective roles of miR-361. In addition, miR-361 was found to downregulate the AMPK / mTOR signaling pathway by targeting CTSB.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated that ATC-derived exosomal miR-361 alleviates nerve damage in rats with cerebral I/R injury by targeting CTSB and downregulating the AMPK/mTOR pathway. This may offer novel insights into treatment for I/R injury.

Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Transplantation Inhibits Vascular Inflammatory Responses and Endothelial Dysfunction in Rats with Atherosclerosis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the effect of adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) transplantation on atherosclerosis (AS) and its underlying mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In our study, rat AS model was established, and ADSCs were isolated and cultured. Atherosclerotic plaque and pathological symptoms of thoracic aorta were measured by Oil Red O staining and Hematoxylin-Eosin staining, respectively. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. Expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), aortic endothelin-1 (ET-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), c-reactive protein (CRP), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, VEGF, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, ET-1, respectively, and NF-κB p65 mRNA expressions were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Protein expressions of VEGF, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, ET-1, NF-κB p65, p-NF-κB p65, and IκBα were measured by western blot. Moreover, NF-κB p65 expression was measured by immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTS

ADSC transplantation alleviated the pathological symptoms of aortic AS. ADSC transplantation decreased the levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C and increased serum HDL-C level. Meanwhile, ADSC transplantation decreased the levels of IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α in AS rats. Moreover, the expressions of VEGF, ET-1, VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 were decreased by ADSC transplantation. ADSC transplantation inhibited phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 and promoted IκBα expression in AS rats.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that ADSC transplantation could inhibit vascular inflammatory responses and endothelial dysfunction by suppressing NF-κB pathway in AS rats.

The Regulatory Roles of Non-coding RNAs in Angiogenesis and Neovascularization From an Epigenetic Perspective

Angiogenesis is a crucial process for organ morphogenesis and growth during development, and it is especially relevant during the repair of wounded tissue in adults. It is coordinated by an equilibrium of pro- and anti-angiogenic factors; nevertheless, when affected, it promotes several diseases. Lately, a growing body of evidence is indicating that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as miRNAs, circRNAs, and lncRNAs, play critical roles in angiogenesis. These ncRNAs can act in cis or trans and alter gene transcription by several mechanisms including epigenetic processes. In the following pages, we will discuss the functions of ncRNAs in the regulation of angiogenesis and neovascularization, both in normal and disease contexts, from an epigenetic perspective. Additionally, we will describe the contribution of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques to the discovery and understanding of the role of ncRNAs in angiogenesis.

Long noncoding RNA MIR31HG abrogates the availability of tumor suppressor microRNA-361 for the growth of osteosarcoma

Purpose

Long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) containing microRNA host gene is an interesting type of LncRNA. MicroRNA-31 (miR-31)-host gene LncRNA (MIR31HG) have been recognized as an oncogene in many cancers, but not in osteosarcoma (OS). Interestingly, MIR31HG/miR-31 could not regulate each other’s expression in certain cancer, suggesting that the role of MIR31HG in cancer is independent of miR-31. We here investigated the function and potential mechanism of MIR31HG in OS.

Methods

OS tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues (n=40) were collected to determine the expressions of MIR31HG by paired t-test. We here identified the miRNAs predicted to be bound to MIR31HG and investigated the impacts of MIR31HG on cell growth and metastasis of OS cells by CCK-8, flow cytometry, Transwell assay, Western blot, etc. in vitro and in vivo.

Results

MIR31HG was upregulated in OS tissues and OS cell lines. The patients with high expression of MIR31HG have high tumor stages and distant metastasis. Tumor suppressor miR-361, but not miR-31, was confirmed to be sponged directly by MIR31HG in OS cells and was down-regulated in OS cell lines. Knockdown of MIR31HG restored the expression of miR-361. Restoration of miR-361 level in Saos-2 and U2OS cells induced cell apoptosis and G1/S arrest, inhibited proliferation and migration, which was, however, abrogated by MIR31HG. Mechanistically, cell growth and metastasis-related target genes of MIR-361 including VEGF, FOXM1 and Twist were de-repressed in OS cells by MIR31HG overexpression, leading to upregulated BCL2, CCND1 and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. Patients with high expression of MIR31HG also showed more VEGF, FOXM1 and Twist levels. Overexpression of MIR31HG in vivo also promoted tumor growth via inhibition of miR-361 signals and elevated the expression of VEGF, FOXM1 and Twist for tumor growth.

Conclusion

MIR31HG acts as an oncogene in OS for tumor progression via regulation of tumor suppressor miR-361 and its target genes.

MicroRNAs or Long Noncoding RNAs in Diagnosis and Prognosis of Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the result of atherosclerotic plaque development in the wall of the coronary arteries. The underlying mechanism involves atherosclerosis of the arteries of the heart which is a relatively complex process comprising several steps. In CAD, atherosclerosis induces functional and structural changes. The pathogenesis of CAD results from various changes in and interactions between multiple cell types in the artery walls; these changes mainly include endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction, vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) alteration, lipid deposition and macrophage activation. Various blood markers associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular endpoints have been identified; however, few have yet been shown to have a diagnostic impact or important clinical implications that would affect patient management. Noncoding RNAs, especially microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), can be stable in plasma and other body fluids and could therefore serve as biomarkers for some diseases. Many studies have shown that some miRNAs and lncRNAs play key roles in heart and vascular development and in cardiac pathophysiology. Thus, we summarize here the latest research progress, focusing on the molecular mechanism of miRNAs and lncRNAs in CAD, with the intent of seeking new targets for the treatment of heart disease.

Exercise and Cardiovascular Progenitor Cells

Autologous stem/progenitor cell-based methods to restore blood flow and function to ischemic tissues are clinically appealing for the substantial proportion of the population with cardiovascular diseases. Early preclinical and case studies established the therapeutic potential of autologous cell therapies for neovascularization in ischemic tissues. However, trials over the past ∼15 years reveal the benefits of such therapies to be much smaller than originally estimated and a definitive clinical benefit is yet to be established. Recently, there has been an emphasis on improving the number and function of cells [herein generally referred to as circulating angiogenic cells (CACs)] used for autologous cell therapies. CACs include of several subsets of circulating cells, including endothelial progenitor cells, with proangiogenic potential that is largely exerted through paracrine functions. As exercise is known to improve CV outcomes such as angiogenesis and endothelial function, much attention is being given to exercise to improve the number and function of CACs. Accordingly, there is a growing body of evidence that acute, short-term, and chronic exercise have beneficial effects on the number and function of different subsets of CACs. In particular, recent studies show that aerobic exercise training can increase the number of CACs in circulation and enhance the function of isolated CACs as assessed in ex vivo assays. This review summarizes the roles of different subsets of CACs and the effects of acute and chronic exercise on CAC number and function, with a focus on the number and paracrine function of circulating CD34+ cells, CD31+ cells, and CD62E+ cells. © 2019 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 9:767-797, 2019.

A systems biology network analysis of nutri(epi)genomic changes in endothelial cells exposed to epicatechin metabolites

Although vasculo-protective effects of flavan-3-ols are widely accepted today, their impact on endothelial cell functions and molecular mechanisms of action involved is not completely understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the potential endothelium-protective effects of circulating epicatechin metabolites and to define underlying mechanisms of action by an integrated systems biology approach. Reduced leukocyte rolling over vascular endothelium was observed following epicatechin supplementation in a mouse model of inflammation. Integrative pathway analysis of transcriptome, miRNome and epigenome profiles of endothelial cells exposed to epicatechin metabolites revealed that by acting at these different levels of regulation, metabolites affect cellular pathways involved in endothelial permeability and interaction with immune cells. In-vitro experiments on endothelial cells confirmed that epicatechin metabolites reduce monocyte adhesion and their transendothelial migration. Altogether, our in-vivo and in-vitro results support the outcome of a systems biology based network analysis which suggests that epicatechin metabolites mediate their vasculoprotective effects through dynamic regulation of endothelial cell monocyte adhesion and permeability. This study illustrates complex and multimodal mechanisms of action by which epicatechin modulate endothelial cell integrity.

Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Endothelial Progenitor Cell Biology for Vascular Medicine

The Hedgehog (HH) signaling pathway plays an important role in embryonic and postnatal vascular development and in maintaining the homeostasis of organs. Under physiological conditions, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), a secreted protein belonging to the HH family, regulates endothelial cell growth, promotes cell migration and stimulates the formation of new blood vessels. The present review highlights recent advances made in the field of SHH signaling in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). The canonical and non-canonical SHH signaling pathways in EPCs and endothelial cells (ECs) related to homeostasis, SHH signal transmission by extracellular vesicles (EVs) or exosomes containing single-strand non-coding miRNAs and impaired SHH signaling in cardiovascular diseases are discussed. As a promising therapeutic tool, the possibility of using the SHH signaling pathway for the activation of EPCs in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases is further explored.

Next generation MicroRNA sequencing to identify coronary artery disease patients at risk of recurrent myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Variation in micro-RNA (miRNA) levels in blood has been associated with alterations of physiological functions of the cardiovascular system. Circulating miRNA have the potential to become reliable biomarkers for risk stratification and early detection of cardiovascular events. Recurrent thrombotic events in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) demonstrate the need for personalized approaches to secondary prevention, especially in light of recent novel treatment approaches.

METHODS

In a single center cohort study, whole blood samples were collected from 437 subjects undergoing cardiac catheterization, who were followed for recurrent cardiovascular events during a mean follow up of 1.5 years. We selected a case cohort (n = 22) with recurrent thrombotic events on standard medical therapy (stent thrombosis (n = 6) or spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI) (n = 16)) and a matched cohort with CAD, but uneventful clinical follow up (n = 26), as well as a control group with cardiovascular risk factors, but without angiographic CAD (n = 24). We performed complete miRNA next generation sequencing of RNA extracted from whole blood samples (including leukocytes and platelets).

RESULTS

A differential pattern of miRNA expression was found among controls, CAD patients with no events, and CAD patients with recurrent events. MiRNA previously associated with MI, CAD, endothelial function, vascular smooth muscle cells, platelets, angiogenesis, heart failure, cardiac hypertrophy, arrhythmia, and stroke were found variably expressed in our case-control cohorts. Seventy miRNA (FDR <0.05) were linked to the risk of recurrent myocardial infarction and future stent thrombosis, as compared to CAD patients with subsequently uneventful follow up.

CONCLUSIONS

MiRNA next generation sequencing demonstrates altered fingerprint profile of whole blood miRNA expression among subjects with subsequent recurrent thrombotic events on standard medical therapy ('non-responders'), as compared to subjects with no recurrent cardiovascular events. MiRNA profiling may be useful to identify high risk subjects and provide additional insights into disease mechanisms not currently attenuated with standard medical therapy used in CAD treatment.

The regulatory role of microRNAs in angiogenesis-related diseases

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level via either the degradation or translational repression of a target mRNA. They play an irreplaceable role in angiogenesis by regulating the proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration and tube formation of angiogenesis-related cells, which are indispensable for multitudinous physiological and pathological processes, especially for the occurrence and development of vascular diseases. Imbalance between the regulation of miRNAs and angiogenesis may cause many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, aneurysm, Kawasaki disease, aortic dissection, phlebothrombosis and diabetic microvascular complication. Therefore, it is important to explore the essential role of miRNAs in angiogenesis, which might help to uncover new and effective therapeutic strategies for vascular diseases. This review focuses on the interactions between miRNAs and angiogenesis, and miRNA-based biomarkers in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of angiogenesis-related diseases, providing an update on the understanding of the clinical value of miRNAs in targeting angiogenesis.

MicroRNAs-361-5p and miR-574-5p associate with human adipose morphology and regulate EBF1 expression in white adipose tissue

Reduced adipose expression of the transcription factor Early B cell factor 1 (EBF1) is linked to white adipose tissue (WAT) hypertrophy. We aimed to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with WAT hypertrophy and EBF1 regulation. We mapped WAT miRNA expression from 26 non-obese women discordant in WAT morphology and determined EBF1 activity in the non-obese and 30 obese women. Expression of 15 miRNAs was higher in hypertrophy and 10 were predicted to target EBF1. Binding of miR-365-5p/miR-574-5p were validated with 3'-UTR assay. Overexpression of miR-365-5p or miR-574-5p reduced EBF1 while inhibition of miR-574 increased EBF1 expression in human adipocytes in vitro. Additive effects on EBF1 were observed when concomitantly overexpressing both miRNAs. EBF1 targets were affected by over expression/inhibition of either miRNAs. Finally, miR-365-5p/miR-574-5p expression in 56 individuals correlated significantly with EBF1 activity. Our results suggest that miR-365-5p and miR-574-5p may be linked to WAT hypertrophy via effects on EBF1 expression.

Anthocyanins and their gut metabolites attenuate monocyte adhesion and transendothelial migration through nutrigenomic mechanisms regulating endothelial cell permeability

Cardioprotective effects of dietary anthocyanins are partly attributed to their ability to maintain endothelial function. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of action are not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of anthocyanins and their gut metabolites, at physiologically-relevant conditions, on endothelial cell (EC) function and decipher the underlying molecular mechanisms of action using integrated omics approaches. Primary EC were treated with a mixture of 0.1 μM cyanidin-3-arabinoside, 0.1 μM cyanidin-3-galactoside, 0.1 μM cyanidin-3-glucoside, 0.1 μM delphinidin-3-glucoside, 0.1 μM peonidin-3-glucoside and 0.5 μM 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde for 3 h or a mixture of gut metabolites: 0.2 μM protocatechuic, 2 μM vanillic, 1 μM ferulic and 2 μM hippuric acids for 18 h. Also, successive exposure of EC to both mixtures was performed to mimic anthocyanin pharmacokinetics following their intake. Inflammatory stress was induced using TNFα and monocytes added to assess adhesion and transmigration. Effects of these mixtures on gene, miRNA expression and their potential interaction with cell signalling were investigated. Anthocyanins and their gut metabolites significantly reduced monocyte adhesion and transendothelial migration. Gene expression analysis, using macroarrays, showed that tested compounds modulated the expression of genes involved in cell-cell adhesion, cytoskeleton organisation or focal adhesion. Bioinformatics analyses of gene expression data identified potential transcription factors involved in the observed nutrigenomic effects and signalling proteins regulating their activity. Molecular docking revealed cell signalling proteins to which these bioactives may bind to and potentially affect their activity and the activation of downstream signalling, effects that were in agreement with the results of Western blot analyses. Microarray analysis showed that anthocyanins and their gut metabolites affected miRNA expression in EC, especially those involved in regulation of EC permeability, contributing to the observed changes in EC function. Integration of these results revealed endothelial-protective properties of anthocyanins and their gut metabolites and deciphered new underlying multi-target and multi-layered mode of action.

Dysregulation of endothelial colony-forming cell function by a negative feedback loop of circulating miR-146a and -146b in cardiovascular disease patients

Functional impairment of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), a specific cell lineage of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) is highly associated with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common type of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Emerging evidence show that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in CAD patients’ body fluid hold a great potential as biomarkers. However, our knowledge of the role of circulating miRNA in regulating the function of ECFCs and the progression of CAD is still in its infancy. We showed that when ECFCs from healthy volunteers were incubated with conditioned medium or purified exosomes of cultured CAD ECFCs, the secretory factors from CAD ECFCs dysregulated migration and tube formation ability of healthy ECFCs. It is known that exosomes influence the physiology of recipient cells by introducing RNAs including miRNAs. By using small RNA sequencing (smRNA-seq), we deciphered the circulating miRNome in the plasma of healthy individual and CAD patients, and found that the plasma miRNA spectrum from CAD patients was significantly different from that of healthy control. Interestingly, smRNA-seq of both healthy and CAD ECFCs showed that twelve miRNAs that had a higher expression in the plasma of CAD patients also showed higher expression in CAD ECFCs when compared with healthy control. This result suggests that these miRNAs may be involved in the regulation of ECFC functions. For identification of potential mRNA targets of the differentially expressed miRNA in CAD patients, cDNA microarray analysis was performed to identify the angiogenesis-related genes that were down-regulated in CAD ECFCs and Pearson’s correlation were used to identify miRNAs that were negatively correlated with the identified angiogenesis-related genes. RT-qPCR analysis of the five miRNAs that negatively correlated with the down-regulated angiogenesis-related genes in plasma and ECFC of CAD patients showed miR-146a-5p and miR-146b-5p up-regulation compared to healthy control. Knockdown of miR-146a-5p or miR-146b-5p in CAD ECFCs enhanced migration and tube formation activity in diseased ECFCs. Contrarily, overexpression of miR-146a-5p or miR-146b-5p in healthy ECFC repressed migration and tube formation in ECFCs. TargetScan analysis showed that miR-146a-5p and miR-146b-5p target many of the angiogenesis-related genes that were down-regulated in CAD ECFCs. Knockdown of miR-146a-5p or miR-146b-5p restores CAV1 and RHOJ levels in CAD ECFCs. Reporter assays confirmed the direct binding and repression of miR-146a-5p and miR-146b-5p to the 3’-UTR of mRNA of RHOJ, a positive regulator of angiogenic potential in endothelial cells. Consistently, RHOJ knockdown inhibited the migration and tube formation ability in ECFCs. Collectively, we discovered the dysregulation of miR-146a-5p/RHOJ and miR-146b-5p/RHOJ axis in the plasma and ECFCs of CAD patients that could be used as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for CAD and other angiogenesis-related diseases.

Endothelial angiogenesis is directed by RUNX1T1-regulated VEGFA, BMP4 and TGF-β2 expression

Tissue angiogenesis is intimately regulated during embryogenesis and postnatal development. Defected angiogenesis contributes to aberrant development and is the main complication associated with ischemia-related diseases. We previously identified the increased expression of RUNX1T1 in umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) by gene expression microarray. However, the biological relevance of RUNX1T1 in endothelial lineage is not defined clearly. Here, we demonstrate RUNX1T1 regulates the survival, motility and tube forming capability of ECFCs and EA.hy926 endothelial cells by loss-and gain-of function assays, respectively. Second, embryonic vasculatures and quantity of bone marrow-derived angiogenic progenitors are found to be reduced in the established Runx1t1 heterozygous knockout mice. Finally, a central RUNX1T1-regulated signature is uncovered and VEGFA, BMP4 as well as TGF-β2 are demonstrated to mediate RUNX1T1-orchested angiogenic activities. Taken together, our results reveal that RUNX1T1 serves as a common angiogenic driver for vaculogenesis and functionality of endothelial lineage cells. Therefore, the discovery and application of pharmaceutical activators for RUNX1T1 will improve therapeutic efficacy toward ischemia by promoting neovascularization.

Apelin-13 inhibits lipoprotein lipase expression via the APJ/PKCα/miR-361-5p signaling pathway in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells

Atherosclerotic lesions are characterized by the accumulation of abundant lipids and chronic inflammation. Previous researches have indicated that macrophage-derived lipoprotein lipase (LPL) promotes atherosclerosis progression by accelerating lipid accumulation and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. Although apelin-13 has been regarded as an atheroprotective factor, it remains unclear whether it can regulate the expression of LPL. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of apelin-13 on the expression of LPL and the underlying mechanism in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells. Apelin-13 significantly decreased cellular levels of total cholesterol, free cholesterol, and cholesterol ester at the concentrations of 10 and 100 nM. ELISA analysis confirmed that treatment with apelin-13 reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). It was also found that apelin-13 inhibited the expression of LPL as revealed by western blot and real-time PCR analyses. Bioinformatics analyses and dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-361-5p directly downregulated the expression of LPL by targeting the 3'UTR of LPL. In addition, apelin-13 + miR-361-5p mimic significantly downregulated the expression of LPL in cells. Finally, we demonstrated that apelin-13 downregulated the expression of LPL through activating the activity of PKCα. Taken together, our results showed that apelin-13 downregulated the expression of LPL via activating the APJ/PKCα/miR-361-5p signaling pathway in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells, leading to inhibition of lipid accumulation and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. Therefore, our studies provide important new insight into the inhibition of lipid accumulation and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion by apelin-13, and highlight apelin-13 as a promising therapeutic target in atherosclerosis.

Galectin‑9 ameliorates fulminant liver injury

Fulminant hepatitis is a severe liver disease resulting in hepatocyte necrosis. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a tandem-repeat-type galectin that has been evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent for various diseases that regulate the host immune system. Concanavalin A (ConA) injection into mice results in serious, immune-mediated liver injury similar to human viral, autoimmune and fulminant hepatitis. The present study investigated the effects of Gal-9 treatment on fulminant hepatitis in vivo and the effect on the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), in order to identify specific miRNAs associated with the immune effects of Gal-9. A ConA-induced mouse hepatitis model was used to investigate the effects of Gal-9 treatment on overall survival rates, liver enzymes, histopathology and miRNA expression levels. Histological analyses, TUNEL assay, immunohistochemistry and miRNA expression characterization, were used to investigate the degree of necrosis, fibrosis, apoptosis and infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages. Overall survival rates following ConA administration were significantly higher in Gal-9-treated mice compared with control mice treated with ConA + PBS. Histological examination revealed that Gal-9 attenuated hepatocellular damage, reduced local neutrophil infiltration and prevented the local accumulation of macrophages and liver cell apoptosis in ConA-treated mice. In addition, various miRNAs induced by Gal-9 may contribute to its anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and pro-proliferative effects on hepatocytes. The results of the present study demonstrate that Gal-9 may be a candidate therapeutic target for the treatment of fulminant hepatitis.

Genome-Wide Sequencing Reveals MicroRNAs Downregulated in Cerebral Cavernous Malformations

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) are vascular lesions associated with loss-of-function mutations in one of the three genes encoding KRIT1 (CCM1), CCM2, and PDCD10. Recent understanding of the molecular mechanisms that lead to CCM development is limited. The role of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been demonstrated in vascular pathologies resulting in loss of tight junction proteins, increased vascular permeability and endothelial cell dysfunction. Since the relevance of miRNAs in CCM pathophysiology has not been elucidated, the primary aim of the study was to identify the miRNA-mRNA expression network associated with CCM. Using small RNA sequencing, we identified a total of 764 matured miRNAs expressed in CCM patients compared to the healthy brains. The expression of the selected miRNAs was validated by qRT-PCR, and the results were found to be consistent with the sequencing data. Upon application of additional statistical stringency, five miRNAs (let-7b-5p, miR-361-5p, miR-370-3p, miR-181a-2-3p, and miR-95-3p) were prioritized to be top CCM-relevant miRNAs. Further in silico analyses revealed that the prioritized miRNAs have a direct functional relation with mRNAs, such as MIB1, HIF1A, PDCD10, TJP1, OCLN, HES1, MAPK1, VEGFA, EGFL7, NF1, and ENG, which are previously characterized as key regulators of CCM pathology. To date, this is the first study to investigate the role of miRNAs in CCM pathology. By employing cutting edge molecular and in silico analyses on clinical samples, the current study reports global miRNA expression changes in CCM patients and provides a rich source of data set to understand detailed molecular machinery involved in CCM pathophysiology.

Drug repurposing and therapeutic anti-microRNA predictions for inhibition of oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cell-associated diseases

Drug repurposing is a new method for disease treatments, which accelerates the identification of new uses for existing drugs with minimal side effects for patients. MicroRNA-based therapeutics are a class of drugs that have been used in gene therapy following the FDA's approval of the first anti-sense therapy. This study examines the effects of oxLDL on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and identifies potential drugs and antimiRs for treating VSMC-associated diseases. The Connectivity Map (cMap) database is utilized to identify potential new uses of existing drugs. The success of the identifications was supported by MTT assay, clonogenic assay and clinical trial data. Specifically, 37 drugs, some of which are undergoing clinical trials, were identified. Three of the identified drugs exhibit IC50 activities. Among the 37 drugs' targets, three differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are identified as drug targets by using both the DrugBank and the NCBI PubChem Compound databases. Also, one DEG, DNMT1, which is regulated by 17 miRNAs, where these miRNAs are potential targets for developing antimiR-based miRNA therapy, is found.

Dysregulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 by Multiple miRNAs in Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells of Coronary Artery Disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) have the potential to be used in regenerative medicine. Dysfunction of ECFCs is correlated with the onset of cardiovascular disorders, especially coronary artery disease (CAD). Binding of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR2) triggers cell motility and angiogenesis of ECFCs, which are crucial to vascular repair.

METHODS

To identify the miRNA-VEGFR2-dependent regulation of ECFC functions, ECFCs isolated from peripheral blood of disease-free and CAD individuals were subjected to small RNA sequencing for identification of anti-VEGFR2 miRNAs. The angiogenic activities of the miRNAs were determined in both in vitro and in vivo mice models.

RESULTS

Three miRNAs, namely miR-410-3p, miR-497-5p, and miR-2355-5p, were identified to be upregulated in CAD-ECFCs, and VEGFR2 was their common target gene. Knockdown of these miRNAs not only restored the expression of VEGFR2 and increased angiogenic activities of CAD-ECFCs in vitro, but also promoted blood flow recovery in ischemic limbs in vivo. miR-410-3p, miR-497-5p, and miR-2355-5p could serve as potential biomarkers for CAD detection as they are highly expressed in the plasma of CAD patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This modulation could help develop new therapeutic modalities for cardiovascular diseases and other vascular dysregulated diseases, especially tumor angiogenesis.

Circulating MicroRNAs as Novel Biomarkers of Stenosis Progression in Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis

Background and Purpose—

Progression of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS) in patients with >50% luminal narrowing is considered a potential risk factor for ischemic stroke; however, subclinical molecular biomarkers of ACAS progression are lacking. Recent studies suggest a regulatory function for several microRNAs (miRNAs) on the evolution of carotid plaque, but its role in ACAS progression is mostly unknown. The aim of our study was to investigate a wide miRNA panel in peripheral blood exosomes from patients with ACAS to associate circulating miRNA expression profiles with stenosis progression.

Methods—

The study included 60 patients with ACAS carrying >50% luminal narrowing. First, miRNA expression profiles of circulating exosomes were determined by Affymetrix microarrays from plasma samples of 16 patients from the cohort. Second, those miRNAs among the most differentially expressed in patients with ACAS progression were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction in a separate replication cohort of 39 subjects within the patient sample.

Results—

Our results showed that ACAS progression was associated with development of stroke. MiR-199b-3p, miR-27b-3p, miR-130a-3p, miR-221-3p, and miR-24-3p presented significant higher expression in those patients with ACAS progression.

Conclusions—

In conclusion, our study supports that specific circulating miRNA expression profiles could provide a new tool that complements the monitoring of ACAS progression, improving therapeutic approaches to prevent ischemic stroke.

Improving stem cell therapy in cardiovascular diseases: the potential role of microRNA

The initial promising prospect of autologous bone marrow-derived stem cell therapy in the setting of cardiovascular diseases has been overshadowed by functional shortcomings of the stem cell product. As powerful epigenetic regulators of (stem) cell function, microRNAs are valuable targets for novel therapeutic strategies. Indeed, modulation of specific miRNA expression could contribute to improved therapeutic efficacy of stem cell therapy. First, this review elaborates on the functional relevance of miRNA dysregulation in bone marrow-derived progenitor cells in different cardiovascular diseases. Next, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current evidence on the effect of specific miRNA modulation in several types of progenitor cells on cardiac and/or vascular regeneration. By elaborating on the cardioprotective regulation of progenitor cells on cardiac miRNAs, more insight in the underlying mechanisms of stem cell therapy is provided. Finally, some considerations are made regarding the potential of circulating miRNAs as regulators of the miRNA signature of progenitor cells in cardiovascular diseases.

Decreased levels of stem cell factor in subjects with incident coronary events

BACKGROUND

It has been proposed that vascular progenitor cells play an important role in vascular repair, but their possible clinical importance in cardiovascular disease has not been fully characterized. Vascular endothelial growth factor A, placental growth factor and stem cell factor (SCF) are three growth factors that are important in recruiting vascular progenitor cells. In this study, we investigated the association between the plasma levels of these growth factors and incident coronary events (CEs).

METHODS

Levels of the three growth factors were measured using the proximity extension assay technique in baseline plasma samples from 384 subjects with a first CE (mean follow-up 14.0 ± 4.3 years) and 409 event-free control subjects matched by sex and age, as well as in homogenates from 201 endarterectomy specimens.

RESULTS

After controlling for known cardiovascular disease risk factors in a Cox regression model, subjects in the lowest SCF tertile had a hazard ratio of 1.70 (95% confidence interval 1.14-2.54) compared with subjects in the highest SCF tertile. Lower SCF levels were also associated with more severe carotid disease, less fibrous atherosclerotic plaques and an increased incidence of heart failure. Expression of the SCF receptor c-kit was demonstrated in the subendothelial layer and fibrous cap of human atherosclerotic plaques. Smokers and subjects with diabetes had decreased levels of SCF compared with control subjects.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first clinical study to provide evidence to support a key role for SCF and progenitor cells in vascular repair. We suggest that the SCF-c-kit pathway may be a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in cardiovascular disease.

MicroRNA-134 Contributes to Glucose-Induced Endothelial Cell Dysfunction and This Effect Can Be Reversed by Far-Infrared Irradiation

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease that is increasing worldwide. Furthermore, it is associated with the deregulation of vascular-related functions, which can develop into major complications among DM patients. Endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) have the potential to bring about medical repairs because of their post-natal angiogenic activities; however, such activities are impaired by high glucose- (HG) and the DM-associated conditions. Far-infrared radiation (FIR) transfers energy as heat that is perceived by the thermoreceptors in human skin. Several studies have revealed that FIR improves vascular endothelial functioning and boost angiogenesis. FIR has been used as anti-inflammatory therapy and as a clinical treatment for peripheral circulation improvement. In addition to vascular repair, there is increasing evidence to show that FIR can be applied to a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular disorders, hypertension and arthritis. Yet mechanism of action of FIR and the biomarkers that indicate FIR effects remain unclear. MicroRNA-134 (miR-134-5p) was identified by small RNA sequencing as being increased in high glucose (HG) treated dfECFCs (HG-dfECFCs). Highly expressed miR-134 was also validated in dmECFCs by RT-qPCR and it is associated with impaired angiogenic activities of ECFCs. The functioning of ECFCs is improved by FIR treatment and this occurs via a reduction in the level of miR-134 and an increase in the NRIP1 transcript, a direct target of miR-134. Using a mouse ischemic hindlimb model, the recovery of impaired blood flow in the presence of HG-dfECFCs was improved by FIR pretreatment and this enhanced functionality was decreased when there was miR-134 overexpression in the FIR pretreated HG-dfECFCs. In conclusion, our results reveal that the deregulation of miR-134 is involved in angiogenic defects found in DM patients. FIR treatment improves the angiogenic activity of HG-dfECFCs and dmECFCs and FIR has potential as a treatment for DM. Detection of miR-134 expression in FIR-treated ECFCs should help us to explore further the effectiveness of FIR therapy.

The impact of standard chemotherapy on miRNA signature in plasma in AML patients

AIM

In our pilot study, we used plasma samples as liquid biopsy to search for miRNA signatures in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at diagnosis and in remission achieved after standard chemotherapy before planned transplantation.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We examined 10 plasma samples from healthy volunteers and 8 paired samples from patients with AML at diagnosis and in remission using TaqMan MicroRNA Arrays. The results were validated using single-target qPCR reactions run in triplicates.

RESULTS

We selected 6 miRNAs with expressions significantly sensitive to therapy: miR-199b-5p, miR-301b, miR-326, miR-361-5p, miR-625 and miR-655. All selected miRNAs were not or very weakly expressed in healthy individuals. They were abundant in plasma in patients at diagnosis but their levels decreased after chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

We detected a therapy sensitive miRNA signature in plasma of patients with AML.

MiR-145 facilitates proliferation and migration of endothelial progenitor cells and recanalization of arterial thrombosis in cerebral infarction mice via JNK signal pathway

Arterial thrombosis in cerebral infarction severely affects patients' lives. Classical treatment including surgery and medication both had significantly adverse effects, making it necessary to find novel strategy. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been shown to enhance the recanalization of thrombosis, while leaving its molecular mechanism unclear. EPCs were separated from peripheral blood, and were transfected by microRNA (miR)-145. The growth, proliferation and migration abilities were quantified by MTT, clone formation and Transwell assays, respectively. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. The activation of JNK signaling pathway was measured by Western blotting, followed by JNK inhibitor SP600125. In a mouse cerebral infarction model, miR-145 transfected EPCs were injected to observe the condition of arterial thrombosis. MiR-145 transfection enhanced growth, migration and proliferation of EPCs without induction of apoptosis. MiR-145 exerts its effects via JNK signaling pathway, as the blocking inhibited cell migration/proliferation. In vivo injection of miR-145 transfected EPCs also potentiated cell proliferation and migration, in addition to the recanalization of arterial thrombosis. MiR-145 facilitates proliferation and migration of EPCs and recanalization of arterial thrombosis in cerebral infarction mice via JNK signal pathway. This study provided new insights regarding infarction treatment.

Citreoviridin Enhances Atherogenesis in Hypercholesterolemic ApoE-Deficient Mice via Upregulating Inflammation and Endothelial Dysfunction

Vascular endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory response are early events during initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. In vitro studies have described that CIT markedly upregulates expressions of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 of endothelial cells, which result from NF-κB activation induced by CIT. In order to determine whether it plays a role in atherogenesis in vivo, we conducted the study to investigate the effects of CIT on atherosclerotic plaque development and inflammatory response in apolipoprotein E deficient (apoE-/-) mice. Five-week-old apoE-/- mice were fed high-fat diets and treated with CIT for 15 weeks, followed by assay of atherosclerotic lesions. Nitric oxide (NO), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were detected in serum. Levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), VEGF, and ET-1 in plaque areas of artery walls were examined. NF-κB p65 expression and NF-κB activation in aorta also were assessed. CIT treatment significantly augmented atherosclerotic plaques and increased expressions of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, VEGF and ET-1 in aorta. Mechanistic studies showed that activation of NF-κB was significantly elevated by CIT treatment, indicating the effect of CIT on atherosclerosis may be regulated by activation of NF-κB.